In Memory of Phyllis Lynn Ellickson
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Phyllis Lynn Ellickson, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, devoted mentor, sister, and friend. Phyllis passed away peacefully at her home in Rochester NY on April 19th, 2026, surrounded by her loving family.
Phyllis was born in Springfield, MA, on April 22, 1942, to Frank and Winifred Rutter. Following her father’s itinerant career path at Sun Oil, the family moved from Springfield to Medford, and then to Portland, ME, before finally settling in Winchester, MA. Phyllis’ older sister, Claire Rutter, played an important role in her early development; Phyllis looked up to Claire from the beginning. Phyllis especially enjoyed her time in Maine, where, despite being a newcomer, she immediately felt a part of the community, making new life-long friends and relying upon supportive teachers who helped her adapt to the new environment. She graduated from Winchester High School in 1959.
Phyllis received her BA in Political Science from Mount Holyoke College, where she made several more, life-long friends and, through an internship at NATO, ignited a lasting interest in foreign cultures and international travel. One of her Holyoke Professors, who was the first woman to earn a PhD in Political Science from MIT, encouraged her to apply to MIT as well, which she did.
It was in her first year in the Poli Sci program at MIT that Phyllis met the love of her life, Bryan. When he proposed on their first date, she initially laughed, but they were married the following June. Bryan and Phyllis soon relocated to Los Angeles where they remained until 2023. They remained always in love.
After a brief stint teaching in the Poli Sci department at UCLA, Phyllis found her professional home at the RAND Corporation, a non-profit research organization focused on objective scientific analysis. Although known for its research connection to the military, RAND also promoted efforts aimed at the wellbeing of children and families, which suited Phyllis perfectly. She greatly valued the collaborative research environment and the opportunity to work with a team of colleagues with diverse backgrounds and research approaches. She was a valued mentor to her younger colleagues and took great pride in their success.
While at RAND, Phyllis worked with several colleagues to develop a drug prevention program for middle school children called Project ALERT. The first of its kind, Project ALERT is an evidence-based and clinically evaluated program aimed primarily at middle-school students. Rather than relying on scare tactics or simply providing information about drug
harms, Project ALERT teaches students to identify the social pressures around substance use and develop concrete skills to resist them. Phyllis and her RAND colleagues developed and tested the program starting in the 1980s. Evaluation studies showed reductions in cigarette and marijuana use among participating students, particularly those who hadn't yet started using substances. The program has been recognized by numerous federal agencies as an exemplary research- and evidence-based prevention program. Her work on substance abuse prevention and other topics produced over 60 peer-reviewed publications that have been cited a total of 14,773 times by other scholars. She was most proud of the impact that Project ALERT had on the lives of young people.
She and Bryan spent their retired years traveling the world, visiting their grandsons, and enjoying the company of their dear friends.
Phyllis is survived by her son, Paul Ellickson (Jennifer Ellickson); her grandsons, Cameron and Myles; and many cousins and extended family. She was preceded in death by her husband Bryan, her sister, Claire and her parents, Frank and Winifred.